Home For The Holidays
by TheDeep
Summary: Mac and Stella know they have feelings for each other, but they've been way to nervous to admit it in fear of what the other would say in response. So, as the "most wonderful time of the year" draws increasingly near, can they finally cough up the truth in light of the true Christmas spirit?
1. Chapter 1: The Offer

**A/Ns: So, I've always wanted to do a story with Mac and Stella at Christmas time, so here is my first go at this! And, as I assume all of us know, I'm just borrowing our good friends from the CSI: NY set. I'll try to put them back on the shelves as soon as I can, but we all know I can't make any promises.**

Snow fell lazily from the night sky and a crisp, cold air blew just often enough that there was no relief from its stinging blow. Already a light, fluffy layer coated the sidewalks, buildings, and road in the bright city.

There was about two weeks until Christmas and Detective Mac Taylor was, of course, still hard at work. He sank down in to his chair in his office with a sigh and a warm cup of hot chocolate in his hands. Normally, he would've voted for the usual coffee, but something about the air and environment made him choose the hot chocolate instead.

As he sipped cautiously at the hot liquid, he shot a glare at his computer screen, which currently had a pop-up saying he had at least 30 emails to make it through. (Although Mac was almost to the point of betting there was more than 30 in his inbox.) His gaze shifted from the computer screen when one of his team members came in the office with a smile on her face.

Mac couldn't help but offer a small, soft smile in return.

"You cold or something?" Stella asked as she swiped a seat on the couch in his office across from him.

Mac's smile widened ever so slightly. "No, but it's that time of year," he replied, raising his cup of hot chocolate in his one hand a bit.

Stella grinned. "Shouldn't you be at home or something?"

Mac shot her an all too familiar glance as he pulled up his emails. "I could be asking you the same thing," he told her as his gaze went over the first 15 emails displayed on the screen with a short description of what they were and such. He sighed. He'd need another cup of hot chocolate if he was going to do this.

Stella smirked as she watched the unenthused expression on Mac's face as he looked briefly over his emails. "I was on my way out, but everyone has a proposition for you," she said.

Mac raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "If this is like Adam's party, then you can already count me out," he said, remembering that misadventure quite clearly. That was something Mac vowed he would never let himself do again.

That brought a laugh from Stella and a slight smile crossed Mac's face. "No, no, it's nothing like that. Later, more towards Christmas, we're all going down and having a few drinks to celebrate. They're really hoping you'll say yes," she said, looking at him with a certain gaze that told Mac he would not be getting away with saying no.

Mac sighed and sat back in his chair, a full-blown smile on his face now. "Oh…why not?" he replied. "What day and what time?" he asked.

Stella flashed a triumphant grin. "Next week, Thursday the 19th. We're thinking at heading over at…seven-ish," she replied.

Mac was still smiling. "Alright. Meet you guys here after the shift's through?" he questioned.

Stella nodded. "Done. I'll go tell them," she said standing and walking back out to the lab, leaving Mac still smiling in his office and wondering what he'd just gotten himself in to.

He sighed and shook his head, turning reluctantly back to his computer and starting on the stack of emails that had accumulated in his inbox over the few hours since he'd checked it. He wasn't so reluctant to turn back to the hot chocolate, however, although he knew he'd need to make another trip out of the office to grab at least one more cup.

Two hours and one cup of hot chocolate later, Mac shut down his computer for the night and grabbed his keys and phone off of his desk and shoving both in to the pocket of his pants before grabbing his jacket. Now that temperatures were even lower, he had been making a habit of a winter jacket being the one he wore to work on a daily basis. With a yawn, he slid on his jacket and gloves, since there was no way he'd leave without them in this cold of weather, and then headed out.

Believe it or not, he'd walked to work earlier that day and now decided a walk back to his apartment wouldn't hurt either. Neither would a bottle of champagne if he was honest with himself, but he had to remember there was two weeks before it was Christmas day. That's when you really need the alcohol to celebrate, right?

He tugged the collar of his jacket up a little more, watching as his breath plumed away in a vapor-gray cloud. Plunging his hands back in to the pockets of his jacket, he continued to wind his way through the throngs of people on the streets on his way home.

Yes, walking would take him much longer to get back if the city traffic wasn't so bad and road conditions were relatively ok. No, this did not occur to him as a problem.

New York was really at its best around Christmas. Santas stood on every corner you could find and soft, white lights lit up the sidewalks in a soft glow even in the more harsh lights that were common in New York.

As snow continued to slowly fall towards the ground, Mac found himself marveling at the beauty of it all. He also got a feeling that he'd have to bring a truth out this holiday season. A truth he knew he'd been hiding for long enough. The question about it was…would he have the courage to tell her? It was Christmas after all, that was as good a time as any, if not one of the best times.

He nodded to himself, determining that he'd find a way. He'd find a way to break the news.

He could only hope that it wouldn't turn around and bite him.


	2. Chapter 2: Central Park Revelation

**So, I apologize that this chapter took so long to get finished, but my muse was being a real pain in the butt and running away. (And then of course I only had enough of it left to write those two little one shots…) Anyways, Chapter Two! At long last!**

Stella stopped for a moment to stretch. Mac stopped beside her, looking over at her with a smile. It had been two days since she had brought up having drinks on the 19th and they were both walking in Central Park. It was after their shift and they'd both agreed to come for a bit of time to talk and just get some time in together as friends outside of the workplace.

Little did Stella know that Mac had the same feeling that they'd have to tell each other how they felt at some point during the Christmas season.

"You know, I really love Christmas," she said, looking back over to where he'd been beside her to see he was gone.

A bit of a grin crossed her face and her brow furrowed. "Mac? Don't tease me!" she said, turning around, only to get a snowball in the back. She gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth as a bit of the snow found its way down her back instead of on her jacket. She spun around to see a grinning Mac with another snowball already in his hand. "Mac Taylor!" Stella said a bit crossly, but she was grinning.

"What?" Mac asked with a shrug. "It's Christmas!" he pointed out.

Stella rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Uh-huh! You just wait! It's on!" she said, challenging him.

"Oh crap!" Mac said, grinning from ear to ear and taking off as Stella grabbed a handful of snow and made her own snowball before taking off after him.

Mac yelped as he felt the cold snow on his neck and he spun around, throwing his own snowball back at Stella and still grinning.

Stella smirked, getting hit in the arm but still charging after him. Mac took off again as fast as he could, but Stella had a bit of an advantage since Mac had stopped and she tackled him in to the snow.

Then both of them were giggling like two teenagers and Stella looked down at Mac as she kept a hand on his shoulder, the other sunk in to the snow beside his head. "Busted," she grinned.

Mac smirked and looked back at her. "Mind letting me up? It does get cold down here, you know?" he asked, grinning.

Stella giggled and sat back, letting Mac sit up. Mac shook his head, brushing the snow off himself. "Well that was fun!" he said, looking over at Stella.

Stella couldn't help but giggle again and she found herself staring right in to his eyes. Mac was smiling.

It was literally the perfect moment. Stella leaned against him and Mac, without really thinking it through, put an arm around her as Stella put her head on his shoulder. "Yeah it was. I needed that," she finally said, agreeing with him.

Mac smiled and looked down at her, head on his shoulder. She smiled back up at him and he was reminded of what he wanted to tell her.

"Can I uh…Can I tell you something?" Stella questioned, looking up at him and a bit uncertain of how she would put it to him. There was three words she knew would do the job, but did she use those three words in the first time?

Mac blinked in surprise but he nodded. "Yeah, sure. You can tell me anything, remember?" he replied.

Stella chuckled a bit and smiled. "Mac…I don't really know how long I've been hiding this from not only you, but myself….and I think I finally realize that the time to say it is here and now," she started, still a bit uncertain.

Mac cocked his head, wondering where on Earth she could be going with this. Part of him knew what she was trying to say though, and it made him relieved to know he wasn't the only one.

Stella looked back at him, looking him right in the eye. "I think…I think I'm in love with you, Mac."

As much as he'd been prepared for that and knew that's what she had been trying to say, Mac was still silent for a moment, but there was still a smile on his face. "I think I've been hiding something from you as well, Stella," he finally said.

Stella looked at him. She nodded hesitantly. Did she just totally embarrass herself in front of her boss and best friend by admitting she was in love with him? Where was he trying to go with this?

He looked back at her. He just couldn't think of another way to put it so he just said, "I love you too, Stella."

Stella smiled and a partial nervous laugh escaped her lips. She looked back at him and knew only one way to reply to that. She leaned in and kissed him and he kissed her back.

Then she had a hand on his arm and he had a hand on her shoulder as she slipped her tongue in to his mouth. He didn't pull away. In fact, he pulled her closer.

Stella thought she caught a trace of hot chocolate still evident in his breath. She paused for a moment, smiling softly. "Did you have hot chocolate?" she asked, smirking a bit at such a silly question.

Mac laughed a little. "Yeah, yeah I did," he replied. "Why?"

"It really makes your breath smell good," Stella told him with a smirk. She grabbed a handful of snow and stuffed it quickly down his jacket and Mac gasped, eyes going wide before narrowing at her as she sat laughing beside him.

"You did not just do that!" he exclaimed incredulously.

Stella grinned. "I so did!" she said, shoving him in the arm playfully.

"Damn, you're good at surprises," Mac muttered, carefully scooping a small handful of snow out from his jacket by his neck and flicking it off his gloves.

Stella had to smirk at the childish grin that was now playing at his features. "Alright, alright, I'm done. So…yours or mine for the night?" she asked, looking at him shyly with a small childish smile of her own.

Mac smiled softly and looked back at her. "You choose," he told her.

Stella grinned. "Mine," she said.

Mac had to smirk at her quick answer. "Then you're driving," he said as he got up and quickly dusted the snow off the rest of his clothing.

Stella smiled and got up, dusting her own self off. "Alright, deal," she said, taking his offered keys to his Avalanche.

Their secret was out. Finally.


End file.
